Validated Ovid Medline Search Assessment Tool

The University of Michigan Search Assessment (UMMSA) tool for Ovid Medline is a matrix that measures the use of identified search elements and other criteria of importance. UMMSA is customized to apply to a specific question. Since the first step in effectively searching the medical literature is to identify a “searchable question,” the searcher is expected to identify an appropriate search question, based on an introduced clinical scenario, as well as an appropriate search strategy. There are eleven search criteria for which points are awarded and two search elements for which points are deducted. This tool has been used in collaborative teaching settings facilitated by physicians and health sciences librarians. The tool has been used across the continuum of medical education: undergraduate, graduate and faculty development showing its use in lifelong learning.